


Stray Demon

by uglykhakis



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Demons, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22026739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uglykhakis/pseuds/uglykhakis
Summary: Edd Gold is a university student struggling through art school who, after his friends convince him to go exploring in an abandoned factory, goes from dealing with personal demons to having a personal demon.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49





	Stray Demon

"You're a mess," Tom sighed as a greeting as he opened the door to his friend’s dorm room. Edd tilted his head back to look at him from his position on the floor. He was lying sprawled out a few steps from the couch as if those steps were far too tasking to carry out. Empty takeout and pizza boxes, discarded cans, and dirty laundry were piled around him like fallen snow. Edd himself didn’t look much better. His hair was disheveled, sticking up in every direction like he'd been electrocuted. Pale purple bruises were starting to show up beneath his wide brown eyes. He was in his boxers and a tacky wrinkled galaxy shirt with a cat riding a pizza printed on the front.

"Good to see you too,” he answered in a sarcastic monotone punctuated by a dumb wide grin. 

When Edd made no move to get up Tom braved the mess and began the trek across Edd's dorm, choosing his steps carefully. At his side, he gently kicked a few cans and a sweatshirt out of the way and laid down beside him. The ceiling was smattered with those plastic glowing stars. Some looked like they were ready to fall off, barely hanging on for their lives. Going to Uni and he's still sticking little stars to his ceiling. It struck Tom as very Edd. 

He hadn't said anything so Tom volunteered.

"It's been weeks since I've seen you. I miss your dumb ass."

"You miss my ass specifically?"

"Inconsolably."

Tom knew the joke wasn't really an indicator of his mood. Edd could lose his left arm and leg then make a joke about how he was all right. Then he'd make that face, that stupid face, grinning like he'd just accomplished something to be proud of and wait for the chorus of groanes. He was probably just physically incapable of taking anything seriously.

"I'm going to fail," Edd said, suddenly, like a statement of fact.

"What, Uni?"

"Uni. Life."

Tom turned his head to look at him. He was still staring at the ceiling, his face scrunched up like he saw something up there he really didn't like. Maybe he was having an epiphany about the glow in the dark stars. Then Edd sat up, propping himself up with his elbows.

"I'm not cut out for this. Art, I mean. Everyone in my class is, you know, a real artist. They're all so much better than me. I'm in this art history class that I'm failing because the material is so ungodly boring that staying awake is physically painful. How is learning about a bunch of old dead dudes going to help me be a better artist? I have this assignment in acrylic paint and every time I make an attempt it looks like I've been sick on the canvas," he spoke quietly and quickly, his words stumbling over each other. 

A beat of silence went by as Tom tried to formulate a response, an answer to the word vomit that Edd had just dumped on him. Edd’s eyes were clouded, dark brows knitted together in an expression Tom rarely saw. Lifting his arm to rub the back of his neck, Tom opened his mouth to deliver some vague assurance that no, his friend was indeed a real artist, but closed it. Knowing that wouldn’t really go anywhere, he instead tried a different approach. 

"You know what you need?"

"To drop out. They can't fail me if I leave."

"No. No, you need a break. Tell me, have you even left your dorm since I last saw you?"

Guilty silence then, "Maybe. Probably. I don't need to I can get delivery!"

Tom rolled his eyes though the effect was lost on Edd, even if he could have seen through the sunglasses he was wearing, his eyes were too black to tell.

"You've met Matt, right?" He asked Edd.

"The ginger with his head so far up his own ass it just ends up back where it started?"

"Yeah. I mean no. No. He's a really nice guy when you get to know him. We’re going out tonight. You should come with us.”

Edd let himself collapse back to the floor like a bag of potatoes, “I’m not going drinking with you and Matt. For the last time. I hate beer. It tastes like piss.”

“No it--nevermind. Look, it’s not to a bar. You ever heard of urban exploration?”

"Sure, sounds like a great way to get haunted."

“Maybe but wouldn’t that be cool as hell?” Tom countered, lowering his sunglasses to deliver a pointed tar-black look. When Edd only shook his head incredulously, Tom continued, “And what else are you going to do? Lay on the floor like roadkill and attract ants? You’re definitely going to attract ants by the way,” he picked up an empty soda can and shook it as if to prove his point. The can was promptly plucked out of Tom’s hands and tossed into the depths of Edd’s dorm.

“A tempting as becoming roadkill sounds,” he groaned, “Ok fine I’ll go stumble around an abandoned building with you and Matt. There better be ghosts though because otherwise what’s the damn point?”

\---

Edd's beat up sneakers slapped against pavement. It had rained earlier and with every step, his shoes and socks became more and more soaked through. The air carried a noticeable chill, wind whispering through the trees like a warning. Good thing he'd thought to pick a hoodie up off the floor and throw it on. Really, being roadkill on his dorm floor was starting to look pretty good right then. Soon the abandoned factory was looming in the distance. Huge and hulking, like the body of a sleeping giant, it's form wasn't the least bit inviting. 

"Hey, Edd!" and there was Tom, with Matt not too far behind waving his arm like a madman. Tom had gotten rid of his dark sunglasses, the ones he was always in. His eyes were like twin black holes in his head. Moonlight cast shadows over his grinning face and in it he looked almost ghoulish. Matt was a stark opposite. His hair gelled into a perfect swoop, not a strand out of place. A lime green jacket made of fabric that shined in the minimal light. Suddenly self-conscious, Edd reached up to try to smooth down his own untamed bedhead.

"Ok, we're going to have to hop this to get in," Tom announced when they reached the tall metal fence surrounding the factory's corpse. Edd hadn't counted on having to exercise. Every moment he began to regret the night more. This is a trend that will continue. 

Matt declared that he was going first and Tom threaded his fingers together, creating a foothold for him to aid in the scramble up the fence. When he was on the other side, he gave an enthusiastic thumbs up and Tom turned to Edd, "Your turn, I'll give you a boost."

Carefully, Edd stepped into the cup of Tom’s hands and heaved himself up. Tom didn’t seem to have any trouble lifting him which almost amazed Edd, he definitely wasn’t as light as Matt. 

The top of the fence digging into his stomach, Edd tried to swing a leg over to the other side. His leg kicked uselessly into the air and instead he tipped forward. His bodyweight ripped his hands from the fence. The hard earth rushed up to meet his face before he could even scream and he suddenly found himself on his back, staring up at the darkening sky, his arms stinging with the promises of bruises that would pop up later. The sun was disappearing behind black trees, deep oranges giving way to the navy blues of the night sky. 

Matt’s freckled face popped into Edd’s field of vision, his baby blues contrasting with the dark blue behind him.

“You good?” he asked, “Anything broken?”

Edd grunted a negative on both accounts, barely able to form the words with the air he still somehow had left in his lungs. He took Matt’s outstretched hand and managed to stand. 

Beside him, Tom landed, having jumped the fence effortlessly.

“Shit, shit, are you ok?”

Edd held up both his hands in a thumbs up, immediately wincing and regretting it. He let Tom grab them and frown at the angry red scrapes across his palms. 

Tom murmured an apology as if it had been his fault and not the fault of Edd’s own clumsiness. With another confirmation that he was, in fact, perfectly fine, Edd reclaimed his hands and stuffed them back into his hoodie pockets. 

The next part was easier. Edd pushed open the heavy metal doors. Underneath his fingers, paint was chipping away and he absently scraped at it, helping time along. At the threshold, staring into the maw of the dark factory, Tom produced three small flashlights. Three bright beams cut into the black, revealing featureless grey walls. Matt stepped forward, bowing low and sweeping his arms towards the entrance as if he were beckoning them into somewhere someone might actually want to go, “After you.” 


End file.
